The Opelousas courier., 1887-09-03
AFTER FIVE YEARS.

y II "HS SAtLJy VA o4Ou soA
!, have thought of tho thingl" muse
, young Doctor Dorr. Well, few of Ii
but have u fits of harmless lunacy q
times. Let it pass. That little three
year-old lad who cried last night at tn
hospital for the moon had to keep o.
crying. The moon wasn't to be had
Why am l to get my own way any NOR
than he had his?"
Doctor Dorr had fought his way SO ia
through life, and in tho course of hi
hand-to-hand contest with destiny h,
had learned to be a philosopher.
"But | loved herr was his inward
cry. ''There's no getting aside of that.
I loved hcrr'
And at the same time, little LOIS Yer
ney, busting the picture frames at home
and polishing off the quaint mahogany
table, was murmuring to herself the same
sweet form of words which will prevail
as long as there are love and youth and
beauty III the Worlu.
Il love him-Ilove himi"
While old Major Verney, glaring
through his eyeglasses at the little pink
envelope ON the library table, found a
husky voice to say:
whats this, Mary Ann, eh2 My
niece writing letters2'
Mary Ann jumped. She stood in
mortal fear OF the grim major, who was
said 10 have killed three men in the
Crinean war, and carried a bullet some
where in the ncighborhood Of his left
lung still.
.tPiease, sir, it's letter Miss Lois
gave me to post" faltered she, Shut l
amt cleaned myself up yet, and"
Eyes, yes" said the major. you
are a good girl, Mary Ann. Here is a
sixpence for you. will attend to the
letter."
And Mary Ann responded:
.Yes, please, sir!"
Lois dressed herself that night in her
best pin-chccked silk gown, with a pink
ribbon in her hair, that flung an answer
ing signal to the color in her cheeks. and
sat by the window oil the evening. But
no n came.
She made a transparent little errand
to walk past the hospital next day. By
a strange coincidence it was the day of
DR.. Doris attendance there-ycs, the
very hour.
He came out, and Lois's silly little
heart began to beat, but he only lifted
his Int with icicle-likc courtesy and
passed on.
Lois stood a minute looking after
him, as if she were dazed, and then and
there the candle of hope went out in her
poor little heart.
IF this is love-" said LOIS to herself.
fits a very disappointing thing, and-
and | want no more to do with it. Oh,
dear-oh, dear, I wish I were dead"
Doctor Dorr went on with his work in
life. His sister, a hard featured maiden
lady, kept house for him, and there
never lacked q. button on his shirt. nor
the proper seasoning to his soup.
Lois Verney, too, worked on; Lut
poor child, was at a disadvantage;
for the old mir was. dead, and Lois
had a hard time to keep the proverbial
wolf from the. door.
Please, Miss said Mary Ann, one
April morning, Two brought
back them painted shells and packets,
md things-"
Plaques, Mary Ann = plaqu,s,o
corrected Lois.
"And the bookseller, miss, please, he
lays there amt no sale for no such, and,
please, he wants the window room for
something elsc."
VERY we'll Mary Ann said Lois,
with a sigh as deep as Avernus.
And please, miss, The Gilman says he
las orders not to fill the can until the
,ilI ii paid
aThen we must burn candles, Mary
Ann,n said Lois, ''for wa have no money
Q pay bills"
but the grocer, miss. please, he says
ed rather we'd patronizo some other
hop till we've paid something on ac-
Very Well,n said Lois iistlessly.
She was no Midas. She could not
urn blank paper into money By the
Of her fingers.
aAnd please, miss, what shall tell
be butcher n persisted Mary Ann, the
uthless.
Mary Ann, do 60 awayp' walled
.ois. How do 1 know9 There's nv
There IS d shilling in il. and /
hats oil I've got in the world. And / /
ont see any chance Of earning anything !
There's scme one knocking At .
door. Go quick, and sec Who it is
Mary Ann clattered down stairs. Il /
as Mrs. Castleton's maid, with d book
lieh her mistress had borrowed of Hiss j
erney. i
Ard please missus 'nd like to borry !
'avaril "a the Peak Il Miss Vsrneyn
! her have Il. )